Requiem of the Shadows
by Emo Shaman
Summary: A mysterious shaman reconnects with his past life, while the God of the Shadows betrays the laws of the Gods. The shaman copes with a peculiar condition while finding forbidden love amongst the shadows.... please read with an open mind!
1. Prologue: The Wheel of Life

**PROLOGUE: THE WHEEL OF LIFE**

The night was solid black. Stars, frequently prominent and occasionally as dim as embers, were absent. The moon was hidden, as if clothed by a vast cloak of black fabric. Yet despite this eeriness it was pleasant for midsummer, as there was a cool air which hinted the end of a long drought.

Herbivorous pokémon were drawn to the change in temperature, although maintained their reservations due to the austere night. Their senses were adapted for the day, as were their spirits akin to the sun. If present, humans may have chuckled at the irony of the situation -- the sun, the nurturer for these beasts, was also which scorched and parched their food sources. Yet the pokémon understood the gamble between life and death, having never once witnessed the blessings of technology.

At present, the ecosystem had been altered by nomadic stantler in search of vegetation. They were flatland creatures, lacking adaptations necessary for survival in the woods, and as such were vigilant. Most escaped their caution through sleep, while others signaled for their offspring to stay close. Nevertheless, one creature violated the norms. A stantler fawn, born two months prior, ravished the forest wind bristling through his coat. It was a new sensation to awaken his already endless curiosities. He yearned for more, despite warnings from his mother, like a child shrieks to her parent as they drive past a rainbow of carnival lights. It was a thrilling, and in that lied danger.

He was brisk on his legs, far more agile than the other younglings in the herd. Never once had he slipped from mud or been grazed by rocks. Thus, he felt all threats could be eluded; his mother was simply too cautious in his opinion.

The doe was aware of her fawn's naivety. She cast him an obstinate gesture, but his spirit was just as forceful. Body language demanded that she be the victor in this conflict. Unfortunately for her, this was her first offspring and she had yet to master her rearing skills. She would not win.

Then he did something far too childish.

He bolted from her, from his herd, into the perpetual shadows. Only the flicker of his tail signified his location, until that too ceased when the animal reached unmarked territory. There was a shroud of ancient trees above nearly impenetrable webs of leaves, vines and thorns, enough to bewilder any deer.

The stantler was not alone. He had recklessly entered a game with mayhem, blood, carnage. In those dark hours, the forest was possessed by the mightyena… and they were hungry. From a half mile in the distance, the alpha wolf lifted his nose to the air. He detected the faintest of scents -- maple and ash, fungi, carrion, bodily waste, and the intoxicating colognes of prey.

It was frequent for the mightyena pack to gorge upon little species. They almost settled with five nidorans until the alpha identified a pungent odor -- the fawn, a challenge awarding tender flesh.

They would kill the young creature, simple as that. Yet first it was essential to stay hidden from the deer's keen hearing. A female advised a surefire tactic: Have a couple wolves obscure themselves at the base of the hills, while one provoke anxiety in the stantler with a sudden approach. The stantler would then bound in the direction of the other wolves, get chased, and be overtaken by their stamina.

In the meantime, the deer had abandoned his carefree nature, and now his only focus was returning home. The forest, once a fertile haven, had became one of shadows and labyrinths. He sauntered cautiously, mystified by the foreign array of smells and sounds. It was an investigation for something familiar… anything, to reunite him with his warm mother's side.

He knew something was very wrong. He froze in mid-movement, a front leg postured high.

The assigned wolf edged closer, still out of his sight.

In a chapter displaying the brutality of nature, the wind ceased as if to watch the oncoming slaughter as a bystander.

Then the ghoul of silver-black appeared; the wolf. She lunged at victim with a flash of white teeth to piece the dark.

The stantler gazed at the phantom, his eyes two static pools. They found their reflections in the another, into an atmosphere of primordial ritual. It was a realization of predator versus prey, the balance of life and death. An act of mercy was inevitable in the conflict, all for the survival of the fittest. Her heated breath trailed down his neck… his heart faltered…

It was as if a rift formed to stop time and disintegrate space.

Tension simmered between them.

Then, finally, the deer regained control of himself. He flagged his tail and bolted for the swamp. As that was unexpected, the wolves had to change strategy. They pursued with a greater velocity, as if unbound by gravity. Splashes of water ravaged air as the deer trespassed into the murky hell; he thought his lithe frame would offer protection against his killers. Then one step found a hole in the swamp floor and he fell. The impact struck his leg, rippling pain through his body. He thrashed, attempting to lift himself, but the sensation was impairing -- bones were broken.

Slime caked his body. Now his only focus was to keep his head above water; either the element or the wolves would be victorious in his death. He bellowed to the heavens, and the noise shattered the emptiness like a fist meeting glass.

A wolf charged through the water. There was no grace in his approach, nothing elegant like a water nymph, only the surging adrenaline of a starved thing. He pounced upon the fawn, gnashing the throat with fangs. The other dogs followed suit, digging claws into flesh to seize their victim. Water raised over him… his vision became clouded, ethereal…

The alpha pulled the deer's upper body above the surface, and oxygen swept over him to converge with the water in his lungs.

In those final notes of a one life's song, the wind returned as a mild breeze. His heart slowed. Then teeth met his windpipe, clenching the life-sustaining vessels…

His eyes fell upon something in the distance: A scarlet disk peering above the rows of trees. It was the guardian to break that damned night, the sun.

And then he saw nothing.

* * *

During the twilight hours of that day, a figure stepped forth from the darkness. His frayed leather sandals should have left prints in the dirt was he walked, yet were erased away by his cloak. He presented himself as an enigma; a silhouette in the starlight. One would say he looked frugal, yet something indicated aristocracy. Perhaps it was the garment adorned over his body, its dark colors profound as the new moon.

He resembled a shadow.

Earlier, within a cluster of bushes, he observed the mightyena end the stantler's life. They returned the carcass to land. The underside was torn open and almost instantly the scent of blood waved through the area. Murkrows spied from above, their own appetites yearning for nourishment.

A low growl rumbled from the alphas, enforcing their right to gorge first. The appetizing, nutrient-rich intestines were presented to the female from her mate as sign of affection. She nuzzled his ear, then they fed upon various organs. Soon the minor wolves were allowed their share as they devoured muscle tissue and remaining organs.

Afterward, some dogs played while others basked in the morning sun. It was in that moment where simplicity and tenderness were apparent -- they were not malicious, but tender. They later departed, allowing the remnants for scavengers.

Now the cloaked man stood above the deer remains, but he was not alone. There was something distracting him from his procedure: A solitary murkrow which still fed, blood dried on her beak. She seemed unruffled by the human with every attempt made to shoo her away, until an icy glare shot from him. With a squawk, she flew to a nearby maple to wait for another chance.

The man kneeled upon the russet soil. With a single motion, he swept away his hood to reveal a placid face. There was only fat and bones under his gaze, objects disregarded as grotesque by most. Yet to him, they symbolized pieces of a once complete being; one whose energy would now thrive on the astral plane. It was a reminder that the creature was not gone, only changed.

He made it a ritual to memorialize deceased pokémon. It was his art for the wheel of life. To him, something forgotten by most still burned strong: Death was not an ending, only an unavoidable outcome. The loss of the fawn was a tragedy from which a miracle could be formed, as its nutrients promised sustainability for the wolves and the earth.

Some energy hovered above the animal, lost and mystified. Although it was invisible, he still sensed it. His hands were set inches above the remains, and the energy radiated through the fingers until finding his heart.

He sat there in meditation as the world faded into silence.

The murkrow contemplated the opportunity to finish dinner, until the insight came to let the ritual be finished. She preened her feathers, trying to ignore the food within a short flight's distance.

Then the man stood. Before leaving, Gaelic escaped in his voice, "Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam."

_May his soul be on God's side._

Not my writing, but for the sake of the story, I have the author's permission to upload onto my account. Thanks, Meriah! (I'm engaged to her IRL, so of course she'll let me do this XD) A good way to start a hopefully great fic.


	2. In Love and Death

**Requiem of the Shadows**

**Chapter One :'In Love and Death'**

_**Free from the torment of sin,  
All this I'm giving up,  
Much as the sun would decide to give in.**_

The surreal landscape seemed to stretch for miles, yet not exist at all. This place was unfamiliar to him. The flat, desolate land with its abstract purple hued skies was not a place he had been to in his recollections. He felt as if he was dreaming, yet wide awake at the same time. Not a soul could be sensed, nor life could be seen. This could not be right. How could a place be so lifeless and encompassing such as this one?

Fear began to set in. The nothingness was becoming too much to bear. He tried to shout, yet no sound escaped. He could only fall to his knees and mentally beg for mercy from this cruel destination. He couldn't comprehend what he could have done in his life to be fated to such misery.

Suddenly, the eerie skies slowly faded to near black. It was barely light enough for him to be able to see his own body in the darkness. An unseen presence made itself known at that moment. The life form felt as if it materialized from the pallid earth in front of him. It was a powerful yet familiar presence. He could not see who or what was nearing him, nor could he find the strength to escape, as fear had become full body paralysis.

It was as if the shadows themselves had come to life and seemed to be analyzing him and his every shaky breath. Paralysis prevented him from even speaking out to this omnipotent force. Wide eyed in terror, he feared for what would become of him in this psychotic wasteland. The dark energy seemed to circle him then settled what felt as if it was less than a foot away, without actually revealing its identity.

_...I have been searching for you..For a very..very..long time...You were reborn to forget...I never have..._

The voice emanating through the shadows was powerful telepathy. The words spoken turned his fear to confusion. Forget what? Who was this, and why would they be searching for this shaman in the depths of darkness? This was not a conscious state, nor was it the realm of the spirits, he realized. This was an intensely altered state of being, a confusing terrifying nightmare in which he could not wake from. He could only exist within the demands of this telepathic shadow before him. "Who are-..Why? I don't understand. Lost..so lost in all of this," the frightened man managed to stammer into the darkness before him. The man's fragmented speech echoed through him, bouncing off invisible walls.

_I know who you are. I know you perhaps more so than you know...yourself...My poor Aden...Fate has been most unkind to you...Such a sorrowful, lost, tormented soul...Sentenced to a life in the body in which one does not belong...You knew from the start that you were misplaced...Shunned from your own clan for things in which they could not comprehend...Destined to a lonely nomadic existence so no one can realize what you hide nor who you were born as..._

Aden's fear and confusion vanished into raw boiling rage within. He did not care what world he was in, be it the spirit world, or a world within his mind, no one confronted Aden about the shameful secret he kept. Hands clenched into trembling fists of anger, he screamed into the darkness. "..NO! YOU HAVE NO RIGHT! No one..NO ONE knows what I hide! Who do you think you are hiding within these shadows in this forsaken place thinking you know me? WELL, WHO ARE YOU? REVEAL YOURSELF IF YOU MUST STAND THERE AND BELITTLE MY IDENTITY?!" Tears attempted to well up in Aden's shamed eyes, but anger and pride managed to keep them at bay. The infuriated shaman just stood there in the darkness waiting to face his tormentor.

_Oh Aden...You truly do not remember at all...I am saddened by what the gods have done with you...There must be a hint of memory somewhere within...It is no coincidence that you chose the moniker of Aden...Your soul also remains the same...Though broken from the adversities of your current life, your soul remains the same...I was not supposed to associate with __you again for the rest of eternity..The consequences would be dire...A risk worth taking..For I have missed you so much my Aden..._

Aden pleaded with the shadows surrounding him, "Please reveal yourself. I am so confused. These memories of yours are not ones I can recall. Help me understand who you are, and what this place is." Dropping to his knees, Aden could not hold back blockaded tears any longer. He was much too overwhelmed with emotions of many sorts to maintain composure. "Why do you know so much about who I am, when I cannot even see you? What is the meaning of all of this? You say you miss me, yet I don't recall forming attachments to anyone! I have walked this earth for years assisting the departed souls of Pokemon, a solitary life. I really don't understand."

The shadow being in front of Aden lowered to be at eye level with the kneeling shaman. Aden felt two strong yet caressing hands rest upon his shoulders. An aquamarine glow illuminated what Aden now saw as two saddened eyes, one eye mostly obstructed by what appeared to be this shadow being's white hair. The glow showed the being's seemingly cloaked figure in the colors of red and black. Before Aden could realize who was before him, the mysterious being echoed into Aden's mind, _...I can show you..I can make you understand..Understand everything.._

For a moment, no words were exchanged between the bewildered shaman and the one who held him. Aden looked into the deep soulful eyes gazing upon him with amazement. The omnipresent shadow before him seemed to be still yet flow within the illumination coming forth from bright eyes outlined by contrasting dark lines. Aden felt as if he was starting to recognize who was in front of him, yet still unsure of just who this really was. Just as Aden was about to speak once more, everything had disappeared into blackness. The eerie landscape, the discolored skies, and the mysterious being with the glowing eyes became no more as Aden felt himself slip into what felt like a deep unconsciousness.

The voice spoke again with a warning. _...I'm sorry...This will be painful to your very soul...But..It is the only way you will remember..The only way you will understand...Please forgive me for this..._

Aden's mind suddenly filled with an intense and overwhelming amount of images and emotions all at the same time. So many, so rapidly that only scattered fragments could be acknowledged at once. He saw a man that he immediately knew was the self of a life once lived. Images of a forbidden love between mortal man and immortal deity of the shadows flashed in front of him. It was becoming apparent to Aden that in his former life he had crossed the threshold of things not to be crossed. Taboos of the mortals and the gods have been broken, and he had defended it to his very death. It was so wrong, yet it was so right.

Aden could only watch the horrific replay of the events of his past self's demise. The man was bound to an unusual pillar, and the god of his affections was restrained by a massive black and yellow centipede like deity. The shadow god was being forced to witness his human lover become victim to the judgment of the gods themselves, and was powerless to do anything but watch this cruel ritual in anguish. Many unfamiliar deities scoffed in disgust at their disobedient counterpart, as they all knew that the gods were never supposed to associate with the mortals in such improper ways as this one. A disembodied voice boomed over the scene of this punishment, **"Foolish mortal, interacting with the God of the Shadows in such a manner as this one. Such actions shall not be forgiven and shall be punished upon with death itself. Your body shall be destroyed, yet your soul shall be continued on in another life. An existence of exile and nonacceptance shall be your next." **

A flash of brilliant light shot towards the shamed man, intense pain was felt through Aden in his current and past selves. The scene cut there, jolting Aden to a panicked conscious state. He remembered everything. Drenched in a cold sweat induced by the nightmare, he broke the silence of the approaching dawn by screaming out only one word. "DARKRAI!!!!!!!!!" Speaking the name in which he was not supposed to remember only sent more shudders through his already trembling body. "..Darkrai....."

Aden's distressed cries stirred a peculiar dark blue and white canine resting at the foot of Aden's bedding. The confused Absol approached Aden to give him a comforting nuzzle, sensing the chaos within the one he dutifully protected. "..Sol?", the dog whimpered to his shamanic companion inquisitively.  
Taking his right hand away from his face, Aden gave the Absol's soft white fur a quick petting. "Hey Rune. Sorry to wake you. I was just having a very intense nightmare. Yeah, it was only a..nightmare." He had hoped it was, but knew that it went beyond that. No nightmare, lucid or not, had felt as real as that vision had. Recollections of dreams and nightmares should fade within seconds of waking, but this one did not. The things Aden had witnessed and experienced burned within his mind brighter than the morning's approaching sun.  
Feeling unrested, Aden did not want to face this new day and huddled into his intricately handwoven bedding. He could not settle back into sleep, as his heart and mind were racing far too fast for that. Thoughts of past lives, forbidden love, and a very disobedient Shadow God filled his mind, all too confusing. Who were these almighty scornful deities witnessing the death of Aden's former self? He only knew the name of one, that being the name of the enigmatic Shadow God himself, Darkrai.  
Aden was bonded to the four elements that are responsible for all things, rather than the deities of legends. The burn of fire or the quenching effects of water were far more real to Aden, and far more easier to comprehend than the forces of a higher astral plane that not even a shaman such as himself was meant to communicate with. However, along with the elements, Aden could also comprehend things that were on the darker side of the spectrum of life.  
Death was not feared by Aden, it was seen as a necessary facet of life. The spirits of the departed were far easy to communicate with than the ones of the living. The one thing that Aden could not understand is why he had not remembered the cycle of his own soul. He knew many other souls more than he even knew his own. From experience, Aden knew that some souls realized their own reincarnation, and became quite distraught from it. Now, with this terrifying realization of his own soul, who can help sort out Aden's own dilemma of the soul?  
The answer was quite obvious. There was only one who could, that being the very god who spoke to Aden throughout that riveting vision of his. Aden had to reconnect with the forsaken Shadow God. Darkrai was the only one who could soothe Aden's weary soul.

I have broken the commandments of the Gods themselves, yet once again. Though I had made a vow to not defile the demands of The Original One, I just could not continue obeying any longer. Near a quarter of a century by human terms must have passed since I and my lover were together, but to me it felt like it was an entire eternity. I had missed him for so long. We could no longer be apart. I must make him aware of myself again.

His soul had spoken to me, the feeling growing stronger with each passing day. I had felt his pain, his struggles and his sorrow. The punishment in which he was sent to endure was indeed harsh, as it was meant for him to suffer for being involved with the desecration of one of the Gods. Fated to be an outcast of mortals and to be driven to life within the shadows, he lived in solitude, unwanted and unloved. His pain and suffering were shared by my, as I was forever bonded to his soul. Such a pain so intense that struck my very sense of existence to the core. I could not allow him to suffer any longer. Despite what consequences shall derive from even the mere appearance in a dream, I knew I must find find my way back to my dear Aden once more. The Gods could not keep me from my desires any longer. I shall have my light within the darkness once more.

Who are they to control me and keep me in the shackles of their demands? I am not even of part of The Original One, Himself. An embodiment of darkness itself, I simply have always existed. When or how I came to be eludes me, but I know when I came to be complete. With Aden, I am complete. Before him, I only existed to live amongst the shadows and command the darkness. Feelings of love, warmth, and light were not to be a part of my existence. I was to only just exist. There was more to existing than just to exist, I had known this by witnessing the lives of the mortal ones. Happiness, acceptance, and what they label as 'love' were integral to their survival. The more I had seen that, the more I wanted to have a part of that.

I just never had found anyone, be them of the deities or the mortals in which I thought could bring that to me. That was until my first encounter with the overpowering soul of Aden's. We developed such a strong bond and forbidden feelings with each other that would remain until Aden's final day, and even beyond that. I risked his very life, yet even with the knowledge of that beforehand, Aden chose to remain with me right to the torrid moment of his death. No, it was not just a death, it was a murder committed by the Gods. Hypocritical, they condemn murder amongst the mortals, while allowing themselves to take the lives of any that they please. They also allow a soul to be sent to live again for the sake of being punished. I shall not stand by their actions anymore. Though I had known that if I were to be in the life of the poor cursed soul of Aden, the consequences shall be brought upon myself greatly, I had decided to disobey once more.

The one I had loved had suffered enough. I shall save him once more, despite what was expected of me. Despised and shunned to a nomadic path in life, Aden's soul still carried the same light as before. He had survived many trials and tribulations that were unknown to him in the live he had lived the first time around. For his very soul was assigned to a body in which he did not belong. His personality, actions, and mannerisms seemed to remain the same as his past self. Due to purposeful alterations done within the very womb of his development, he had been born with unusual and mentally painful circumstances. From they moment Aden was developing his first sense of identity he could tell something was wrong. When he began to be aware of it and voicing his concerns, the difficulties had begun. Everyone including his own family began to neglect and ridicule him, saying that he was crazy and that he was wrong. Not even the taunts and beatings could defer him from his sense of self. His body was wrong, but his mind and soul never lied. He knew who he was, they never did. I knew who he was, but I had chosen to stay away for some time. I thought I could save him by staying away, but I realized that to really save him, I had to be with him once more.

The effects of time have started to ravage the mind of the one who had once lived so strong and stable minded. Thoughts of wanting to stay into the portion of the astral plain in which he led the souls of the departed in his Shamanic duties. In twenty three years of time, I had watched the turmoils of human life wear down on Aden. Years of humiliation ultimately had led to years of loneliness and self doubt. Early on in life Aden had trained himself to ignore the thoughts and the urges, but his skill had began to wane. Tired of living in a wrongly assigned self, Aden began to rage against what he had never wanted to be given. Living by himself and never forming attachments, Aden knew no one would notice nor worry about his little acts of self destruction. I noticed. Every laceration, burn, and other form of self inflicted trauma were felt by me, though unbeknown to Aden. He never knew of the undying sadness that I had felt for him. I endured his pain out of undying love and connection with his soul.

Though still bonded with his elements and the elements themselves, his bond with the world of the living had long faded. The darker Aden's thoughts became, the more I saw that he had needed me. He didn't see that he needed me, but I felt his soul calling to me. I was forbidden to keep track of the soul of Aden in this life he lives now, but I refused to obey. I could not let such a soul of his be forgotten. He impacted me too much. He had allow me to see that even one of the shadows such as myself could know love and acceptance. It was my responsibility to show him that in the life he was sentenced to. A true shaman was not supposed to be succumbed by thoughts of suicide and self destruction, as those tendencies were of the less spiritually connected. But, Aden was becoming absorbed into those thoughts more so with the passing years. Long robes hid jagged scars of hatred strewn throughout his body. I could only watch without speaking to him each time as he raked the blade through his skin to calm shaky thoughts. I could not watch idle any longer. Aden's soul would be forever imprisoned and my guilt would be overwhelming if I let him take his own life, even if by accident.

I had to decide which was more important; pleasing the Gods by obeying what was ordered of me, or saving the life and soul of the one I loved. It was decided of me, I was to save Aden's soul. Love went beyond space, time, reality, and even the Gods themselves. To be with Aden is all I desired, and it had been for a long time. Realizing my impact to those I appear to in nightmares, I chose to first come to Aden in one of his. I had made him dream of what would occur to him if he had taken his own life, then spoke to him after his unconscious false demise. Pain inducing, I know it wasn't fair of me to do. It was the most influential way of me to communicate with him, unfortunately. I did not like to have to hurt him, though even if it was only in a dream. Aden was my everything, and I had to make him aware of that. I felt what he felt when he awoke from his unsettling dream. Aden was aware of me, and he had remembered. That was exactly what I wanted. I had forsaken the very Gods that had forsaken me. I would once again be with my Aden.

The Original One was infuriated by the betrayal that he knew he was soon to witness. The Shadow God had blatantly disobeyed orders meant to be followed. How Darkrai could be so callous and disobedient was unknown. The first time he was let off easily in terms of what could have been done. The second time would not be so forgiving.

"**You have defiled me once, Shadow God, yet I had showed you mercy. This time will not be the same. Darkrai, you will learn what it is like to disgrace me a second time...."**

There we have it. The official first chapter of Requiem of the Shadows. It took me months due to slacking off and also lack of self esteem. Don't be too harsh on me people, I haven't written a multi-chaptered fic in quite a long time. This one's a fun one for me to write, though. Aden x Darkrai..Hahahahaha...Just wait till I finally reveal what's 'wrong' with Aden. That should make my mark in the fanfic world, perhaps..Have to wait and find out, though!


End file.
